Wheel suspension



FIE E Aug. 22, 1939. 'r. A. PETERMAN 2,170,064

WHEEL SUSPENS ION Filed Aug. 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIE ;L

INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY 7/760 dare A. Defer/77am main-lug; I

v U'NljlED STATE-SI Application August vs, 1931, serial No. 151,125 icwma wtzsc izof My invention relates try vehicle s oi the multiple wheel type, especially adapted to traverse uneven terrain by the provision 'otindependent suspensions for .the several-wheels, and more particu:

larly to spring wheel suspensions for vehicles of the above type. 4

The principal object oi my invention is to pro-- v vide a springwheel suspension {or vehicles of the multiple wheel type in which the wheels are capable of relative movement inorder to equalize the load upon them.

Another object of my invention is to.provide a wheel suspension in. which a relatively small movement of the load will be produced when any one wheel encounters an obstacle and in which such movement as is transmitted to the load will be cushioned by spring elements in the wheel suspension.

The novel features characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however,

together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best' be understood i'romthe- I01 0 lowing 'description Ioi' specific embodiments there-.

of when read in connection with the' accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 ma plan view of a four wheel sus pension for a vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention, a similar suspension on the opposite side of the vehicle being broken away to reduce thesize oi the iigure.

Figure2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

pension of Figure 1. Figure 41s a, detail view oi the spring holder of the suspension of Figure 1;

view of; a two-wheel suspension for a vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view oi" the structure disclosed in Figure 5, a similar suspension at the opposite side of the vehicle being broken away t'o'reduce thesize or the .vehiele.

In its preferred form thewheel Suspension of myinvention includes a main frame upon which is-suspended a-resilient member carrying central- 1y, pivoted equalizer links, corresponding ends or which are connected by hangers. from each of j which projects a spindle for a. ground engaging.

wheel, the arrangement'being such that each'of the wheels maymovevertically with respect to the. resilient member as they engage irregularities .ilintheterraintraversedandalsosuchthat-thef Figure 3 is a view in end elevationoi the sus-- me 5 a a longitudinal vertical sectional engagement oi such irregularities'mayeflect fleiiure 0! the resilient member to cushion the movement transmitted to the main frame.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the wheel u p nsion of my-invention is 5 mounted on-a main frame In which includes a reach rod l2 and outriggers I I and I6 extending transverselgoif the reach rod l2 and heavily braced with respect-thereto by a bolster 'frame x i8 embracing the reach rod and the Outriggers, and spanning; diagonally between the wallsoi thwe members to provide anextremely rigid Each of the olltriggers terminates in a pair which a spring'support 22 is mounted for pivotal movement on a pin 24 retained in'the arms and extending through the hub. of the spring support 22.

. 'The spring-support 22 (Figures 2 and 4) com- 20.

prises upper and lower arms- 26 and 28, respectively. The upper arm 26 terminates in a plate 38 to which is clamped, by means of plate 32 and .bolts. II, aresilient member; preferably in the form of a semi-elliptical spring 35. The lower end 28 of the springsupport 22 terminates in a plate ll, towh'ich is clamped by means'oi plate 62 and bolts 44 a second resilient member, pret- 'e'r ably in the form of a second semi-elliptical 0 spring 46.

The adjacent ends of springs and 48 are connected together, as shown in Figure 2, by members "which act as spring yokes and rockerlink supports, each being provided with an uppershackle pin 52 extending between spaced ears -54 on the member 50, to'which pin the.upper spring- 26 is pivotally" connected, and a lower shackle pin 56 extending between spaced ears I. on'the member 50, to whichpin one end. oi"v the lower-spring is pivotally connected.

The groundengaging wheels are suspended from the spring yoke members ill by parallel linkages permitting thenrtoniove vertically with respect to each other. For this purpose each" yoke is provided with two pairs of spaced ears 6.0 supporting pivot pins 2, upon which are piv-, otally mounted an upper rocker link}! and a lower rocker link 68 respectively. To complete theparallel linkage, the corresponding ends or theupper and lower rocker'links 84 and 66 are pivotally connected by pins." Figure 3) to hangers 'Il, which may conveniently take the form or standard heavy metal "brake plates, pro- Vlded' with'ears I; to receive the upper and lower pin ll respectivelyroi'depending arms 20 between the lower ends of A spindle 14 projects from each of the hangers H and supports the road wheels 15, each of which is capable, by virtue of the above-described parallel linkage arrangement, of moving vertically with respect to the other when it encounters an obstacle or depression in the terrain being traversed.

the two yoke assemblies 50 pivotally mounted at 24 will act as a second and resilient lever of the second class, with the load disposed at the pivot 24 midway between the fulcrum and the moving end, thus decreasing the movement of the load one-half again. 4 e

In addition to this decrease of the movement of the load, such movement will, in the construction which has been described, be a gradual one member, preferably in the form of a semi-ellip-.

tical spring l9,- is pivotally attached tothe shackles l3 and i at 2| and 23 respectively, and

secured to the spring l9, preferably centrally thereof, is a spring holder and rocker link yoke 25, which serves as a retainer for the leaves of the spring I9 and as a pivotal support for the rocker links.

The upper and lower portions of the rocker link yoke 25 are provided with pairs of spaced ears 21 and 29, respectively, in which pins 3| and 33 are retained to provide a pivotal mounting for rocker links 35 and 31, respectively, this arrangement being such that the rocker links 35 and 31 are pivoted for rocking movement in a plane transverse to the plane in whichthe spring l9 extends.

The corresponding ends of rocker links 35 and 31 are interconnected at each side of the spring [9 by hangers 38, which canconveniently take the form of standard metal brake plates, provided with ears 39 adapted to receive pins 4| passing through the ends of rocker links 35and 31 to pivotally connect them to the hangers 38.

A spindle 43 projects from each of the hangers 38 to receive the ground engaging wheels 45 so that each of the wheels may ,move vertically with respect to the other by means of the parallel;

linkage suspension through which they are connected to the rockerlink yoke 25, said parallel linkage suspension comprising With the'wheel suspension described above it will be apparent that when one of the wheels 45 encounters an inequality in the. terrainnot met the rocker links 35 and 31 and han er". ""f

by the other, it may rise or fall with respect thereto. However, the vertical movement imparted to the main frame ll by said rising or falling of one of the wheels 45 will be only half of the amount through which .the wheel moves vertically because the rocker links 35 and 31 will, in such operation, act as levers of the second class in which the weight is disposed equidistantly bement imparted to either or both of the wheels 45.

It will therefore be apparent that my invention provides a wheel suspension in which the movement imparted to the frame by vertical movement of one of the wheels thereof is not only substantially decreased but is adequately cushioned.

I claim:

1. A vehicle wheel suspension comprising a frame element, a vertically disposed spring support member pivotally mounted on-said frame element and having arms extending oppositely from said pivotal mounting, a plurality of longi- I tudinally extending leaf springs secured centrally thereof to-opposite arms of said spring support member, wheel carrying members pivotally connected to the free end of said springs and con necting the same, and a plurality of road wheels pivotally mounted on eachof said wheel carrying members by means constituting a parallel linkage suspension. I

2. A vehicle wheel suspension comprising a frame element, a vertically disposed spring support member pivotally mounted on said frame element and having arms extendin'g'oppositely from said pivotal mounting, a plurality of longitudinally extending leaf springs secured centralmember, wheel carrying members pivotally con- 1y thereof to opposite arms of said spring support nected to the free end of said springs and connecting the same, a pair of suspension linkspivotally mounted on each of'said wheel carrying members, wheel supports pivotally connected to said suspension links, and road wheels rotatably mounted on said wheel supports.

3. A vehicle wheel suspension comprising av frame element, a spring support member pivotally mounted on said frame element, a plurality of longitudinally extending leaf springs secured centrally thereof to said spring support member,'

wheel carrying members connecting the free ends of said springs, and a plurality of road wheels pivotally mounted on each of said wheel carrying members by means constitutinga parallel linkage suspension. g

4. A vehicle wheel suspension comprising a frame element, aspringsupport member pivotalwheelv supports pivotally connected to said suspension links, and road wheels rotatably mounted on said wheel supports.

' THEODORE A'. PEIERMAN. 

